Polyglot · course
Learn Sanskrit
Learn to read Sanskrit, from the alphabet to the Bhagavad Gītā
The course teaches Classical Sanskrit — the standardized language described by Pāṇini's grammar — the language of Kālidāsa and most philosophy, and, with some freedoms of its own, of the epics — which is also the right starting point for the Upaniṣads and the Gītā. The readings deliberately span the tradition: one line of the older Vedic language from the Ṛgveda, Upaniṣadic prose and verse, a sūtra of Patañjali, epic verse, fable literature, and court poetry, each quoted with the sandhi of the standard editions (the Ṛgveda's accent marks left out).
About 5–10 minutes per lesson
By the end of the course
The road leads to Sanskrit itself — the Gītā, the Upaniṣads, the epics, Kālidāsa — in the original.
Try it — the first check of Lesson 1
Quick check
The letter क on its own is read…
Sanskrit, from the alphabet to the Gītā
Sanskrit is the classical language of India: the language of the Upaniṣads, the Mahābhārata and the Rāmāyaṇa, the Bhagavad Gītā, the Yoga Sūtra, and Kālidāsa. This online course takes you from zero — including the Devanagari script — to reading real passages of that literature in the original.
It is built for beginners with no Sanskrit at all. After Unit 1 you can sound out printed Sanskrit, conjuncts and all; by Unit 6 you are reading Kālidāsa and the first verse of the Gītā with tap-glosses.
What the course covers
6 units · 18 lessons — progress saves in your browser.
Real texts, from the first unit
Every reading is a real, attributed passage, quoted exactly as standard editions print it — never invented app-sentences alone. By the final unit, the readings are the literature:
- The Upaniṣads— tat tvam asi, satyameva jayate, ahaṃ brahmāsmi, asato mā sad gamaya
- Hitopadeśa— vasudhaiva kuṭumbakam — the whole verse behind “the world is one family”
- Yoga Sūtra 1.2— yogaś cittavṛttinirodhaḥ — Patañjali's definition of yoga, taken apart word by word
- Ṛgveda 1.164.46— ekaṃ sad viprā bahudhā vadanti — “what is, is one; the poets call it by many names”
- Kālidāsa, Kumārasambhava— the first verse, whole: the Himālaya as the measuring rod of the earth
- Mahābhārata & Bhagavad Gītā— the opening of Nala, Gītā 1.1 in full, and the famous half-verse on action and its fruits, 2.47ab
How the course works
The method is graded reading: short lessons that teach one system at a time — the sound-ordered alphabet, conjuncts, noun gender and case, the present and past tenses, and sandhi, the rules by which Sanskrit words fuse — and then put it to work immediately in real, attributed text. Every word is printed in Devanagari with its IAST romanization alongside. Practice sentences are printed word by word; real passages keep the sandhi of the editions, and the tap-glosses split each fused block into its words. The one practice story is retold after the Pañcatantra and labeled as such.
Every word in a reading can be tapped for its romanization, meaning, and grammar; wrong answers explain why; and vocabulary returns for review on a schedule that spaces out as you get it right. The course was checked against the standard grammars and editions before publication.
Common questions
Do I have to learn Devanagari first?+
It is taught in the course, from the first lesson. Unit 1 covers the vowels, the consonant grid (the alphabet is ordered by where each sound is made in the mouth), conjunct letters, and the small marks, in three short lessons. IAST romanization is shown beside every word, so you are never guessing, but the course expects you to read the Devanagari.
Is this Classical or Vedic Sanskrit?+
Classical Sanskrit — the standard starting point, and the language of the epics, the Gītā, and Kālidāsa. The Upaniṣads are close to it. One line of the Ṛgveda is read in Unit 4, with a note on how Vedic editions print it differently; Vedic grammar and accent are not taught.
What is sandhi, and does the course teach it?+
Sandhi is the set of sound rules by which neighbouring Sanskrit words fuse — satyam eva is printed सत्यमेव. Unit 3 teaches the common rules as a table and has you undo them in real lines. Real texts in the course keep the sandhi of the editions; the tap-glosses split each block.
How long does the course take?+
6 units — 18 lessons of about 5–10 minutes each — plus spaced review. That covers the script, all eight cases of the commonest noun types in the singular, their subject and object plurals, the present and the imperfect past, and sandhi. It is a start, not fluency: reading the Gītā unassisted takes months more of reading with glosses.
Do I need an account?+
Unit 1 is open to everyone with no account at all — progress is saved in your browser. From Unit 2, a free account keeps your lessons, streak, and review deck saved to you across devices.
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